02.Chapter 05. Jesus Is Lord

Jesus Is Lord The Lordship of Christ involves the daily submission and surrender of our entire lives to the authority and leadership of God through Jesus Christ. Through “Lordship” we recognize the sovereign right of God to rule over us through Jesus Christ our King. In the early church, Jesus Christ was preached as Lord and King (Acts 2:36; Acts 17:6-7). It is interesting to note that Jesus was referred to as “Savior” only two times in the book of Acts while His “Lordship” was referred to ninety-two times. The apostles frequent evangelistic preaching as well as the epistles refers to His “Lordship” hundreds of times. The evidence that the Greek word kurios [lord} historically denotes rulership is overwhelming. Whether speaking of God the Father or Jesus His Son, kurios [lord] properly understood means supreme rulership as well as deity (Luke 6:46).

John MacArthur, Jr., in his book “The Gospel according to Jesus” states, “He [Jesus] is called Lord [kurios] no less than 747 times in the New Testament. The book of Acts alone refers to Him 92 times as Lord, while calling Him Savior only twice. Clearly in the early church’s preaching, the lordship of Christ was the heart of the Christian message.”

“The centrality of Jesus’ lordship to the gospel message is clear from the way Scripture presents the terms of salvation. Those who dichotomize [to divide into] between believing on Christ as Savior and yielding to Him as Lord have a difficult time with many of the biblical invitations to faith, such as Acts 2:21 : “Every one who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”; or Acts 2:36 : “Let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ – this Jesus whom you crucified”; or Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved”; and particularly Romans 10:9-10 : “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.”

“All of these passages include indisputably the lordship of Christ as part of the gospel to be believed for salvation. We saw that Jesus’ lordship includes the ideas of dominion, authority, sovereignty, and the right to govern. If those things are implicit in the phrase “confess…Jesus as Lord” (Romans 10:9), then it is clear that people who come to Christ for salvation must do so in obedience to Him, that is, with a willingness to surrender to Him as Lord” (pgs. 206-207).

We conclude this teaching with these thoughts. “Salvation is not in a plan but in a Person, the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation becomes a vital experience when the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ is received. Christ must not be divided in our preaching of the gospel. To receive Him is to receive Him as Lord and Savior, King as well as Prophet and Priest, Sovereign [ruler] as well as God. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit places the born-again soul into the Kingdom of God (John 3:3; John 3:5). If the Kingdom of God is “the rule of God,” can one be in the Kingdom without being under the King’s rule?” (Lordship Salvation: some crucial questions & answers by Robert Lescelius, p.46).

Generally speaking, people who present Jesus as only Savior to be accepted by faith, preach a message that is absent of any real commitment unto Him or His authority. The gospel message of salvation is not an offer of a discourse about Christ, but is a offer of Christ, the whole person and not just an offer of one of his offices or titles.

Questions

of God to: a. help us. b. speak to us. c. rule over us through Jesus the King.

a. teacher. b. friend. c. King.

a. 90 times. b. 500 times. c. two times. d. none of the above.

a. examples. b. parables. c. stories. d. invitations to the Christian faith.

a. doing good works. b. loving one another. c. a Person (the Lord Jesus Christ).

8.Read Matthew 2:6. If the Kingdom of God is “the rule of God,” can one be in the Kingdom without being under the King’s?

Scriptures to use with Questions

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

Acts 5:30-31 : The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 13:23-24 : Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Acts 2:36 :

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Luke 6:46 : And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Acts 2:21: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:36:

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Acts 16:31 : And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Romans 10:9-10 : That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Answer Key – Chapter 5 Jesus Is Lord 1.Read Luke 6:46. Through the “Lordship” of Jesus we recognize the sovereign right of God to: a. help us. b. speak to us. c. rule over us through Jesus the King.

a. teacher. b. friend. c. King.

a. 90 times. b. 500 times. c. two times. d. none of the above.

a.shepherd. b. Son of Man. c. supreme rulership and authority, as well as deity.

a. examples. b. parables. c. stories. d. invitations to the Christian faith.

a. doing good works. b. loving one another. c. a Person (the Lord Jesus Christ).

8. Read Matthew 2:6. If the Kingdom of God is “the rule of God,” can one be in the Kingdom without being under the King’s rule? No, He is King, Christ, Governor and Ruler (Matthew 2:1-6).